The Over the Hill Band

Claire survives a car crash in which her husband dies. The tragedy plunges her into grief and fear for the future, shaping her decisions in the years to come. This event acts as the catalyst for her later attempt to revive a singing group.

On the day of her husband’s funeral, Claire is reunited with her former bandmates Lut and Magda. The trio reminisces about their youth and their former success singing covers of Jacques Brel. This reunion plants the seed for reviving the group later.

In their late teens, Claire, Lut, and Magda were part of a famous group that performed covers of Jacques Brel. The group splits after Claire becomes pregnant, ending their run together. The past glows as background to their present revival attempt.

Claire meets her youngest son Sid again; he had vanished years earlier while the family focused on the elder son Michel. Sid has always chased a career in music but kept a low profile. The family dynamics under strain drive part of the film’s tension.

Sid has long tried to become a famous R&B artist, but no recording company is interested in his work. He remains on the fringes of the music industry, yearning for recognition. His efforts fuel the strategy to redesign the group's image under his production.

Claire decides she will not fade away and wants to return to the stage. She ignores her doctor’s warnings to rest after the accident and convinces Lut and Magda to join her. She asks Sid to become the group's producer, triggering a new plan to revive their music.

Claire funds the purchase of equipment and rents a room, turning it into a makeshift studio for rehearsals. She rallies the group to commit to rehearsals and to a new sound. The studio becomes the center of their renewed ambition.

Sid hires two musicians, including Artúr, the friend of Lut who will play synthesizer. Claire promptly falls in love with Artúr, initiating a relationship that Lut and Michel disapprove of. The dynamic adds personal conflicts to the artistic project.

Michel is suspicious of his mother's aging and possible mental decline. He notices money concerns, neglect of housekeeping, and misses medical appointments. A mental test suggests a condition like Alzheimer's, heightening the family tension.

The rehearsals start and the three women begin to get a grip on their new style. Sid is convinced of success and sends a demo to a talent show, where they are eventually selected to perform. Lut and Magda consider quitting for personal reasons, but Claire persuades them to do a one-off appearance.

Lut and Magda announce they want to quit; Claire, however, convinces them to do a single performance for the contest. Michel continues to boycott as he learns more about Claire's amnesia. The tension between family, art, and health perfects the narrative arc.

Just before their performance, Claire discovers Artúr is cheating on her. The betrayal triggers a mental shock that causes her Alzheimer’s symptoms to dominate, sending her back to a younger self where she believes her mother and fiancé are in the public eye. The line between memory and reality blurs as the event looms.

The lights fade on the studio, and the story shifts to a rest home where Claire now appears to have lost recognition of her sons. The film shows a stark consequence of the illness, turning the reunion into a distant memory. It is implied that the following performance may occur in Claire’s mind.

Back in the rest home, Claire’s act during the talent show becomes a huge success in memory. The performance is presented as a triumphant moment that may exist only in Claire’s memory. Sid notes a career boost, but the film leaves the reality of the act unresolved.

The film closes with Claire seated again in the rest home, the others’ fates hovering in balance. The story leaves open whether the triumphant performance truly happened or existed only in Claire’s memory. Sid’s career improvement is acknowledged, but the truth remains ambiguous.